Page 74 of His Obsession

I felt the sun heat my face. An ocean breeze cooled my skin, and Alek stood before me. I found it strange that he would stay in clothes while on the beach. I was happy he was here.

“You’re getting too much sun. Your skin is so hot.” He observed as his hands glided up my thighs.

“It feels so good, though.” I watched his hands travel further up my body.

“You like that?” His lips tease my stomach, and I let out a moan.

I grabbed his face and pulled his lips to mine. “I need you… right now.” His grin melted me more than the southern sun.

My lips feed off his, searching his mouth for more. His hands gripped my bikini bottoms and ripped them away, the small yellow material discarded. I tore his shirt across his chest, and buttons flew across the sand. His tattoos? Where did they go? I frowned; that didn’t seem right. He removed the rest of his shirt and moved towards his belt.

I placed my hand on him, stopping him from continuing. “Alek?”

“Are you waking up?” he said to me.

I cocked my head and furrowed my brows.What is he talking about?

“What do you mean?” The world around me faded away with twinkles, and I was left lying in a white, sterile room, a strange noise loud in my ear.

Beep, beep.What’s going on?

“Alek…” my voice cracked, “where is Alek?”

He was right here. Where would he go?

“He’s not here, Lizzy Bear.”

I remembered that nickname.

Jake.

My eyes shot open, and the smell of antiseptic and cleaner hit my nose. The generic white room with dull colors looked familiar.

“Jake? Where am I?” My muscles were weary and weak, and my head felt comfortably fuzzy. I sat up slowly, my ribs a stark reminder to take it easy. I placed a hand over my rib, gently supporting it while I moved.

“Careful, Liz.” His hand came to my shoulder, trying to keep me in place.

I pulled the sheets off my legs and swung them over the edge, but a sharp tug at my hand forced me to stop from moving any further.

“You are going to pull out your IV. Stop moving.” Jake tucked my leg back on the bed and draped the sheets over me. “You are at the hospital. You’ve been fighting an infection and fever for a few days now.”

No.

“Where is Alek?”

“Shh, get some rest. You have been through a lot.” He placed his fingers in my hair and tried to soothe me.

I know he was trying to be kind, but he didn’t get to tell me what I had been through. I knew what I’d endured. I knew the pain and torture Jimmy had exposed me to.

“I don’t want to rest… I want to be home. I want to see Alek.” I wrapped my hand around my IV and yanked it out. The pinch caused me to hiss and breathe through my nose.

Jake gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed napkins from the bathroom, pressing them to my hand. “What the hell are you doing? You can’t leave, Liz. Don’t be stupid.”

He placed my other hand on the napkins, forcing me to hold them to my bleeding hand, and grabbed some gauze and tape.

I pulled the paper away from my hand and watched the blood pool on my skin. The sight of blood used to make me sway. Instead, I stared at it, overwhelmed by its flow and color. Jake pressed the bandage to my battered hand and fastened it down tight, disrupting my stare.

"I can't stay here. I need to find Alek."